The Wichita Teacher Inquiry Group (WTIG) Lessening Structural, Cultural, Indirect
and Direct Forms of through Cultural Competence and Transformative Teaching and LearningAuthor: Drs. Linda Fae Rhone and Kimberly Johnson BurkhalterPublished Year: 2012Bullying at school is an international phenomenon, and as a result there is a need
for teachers to understand bullying behavior at its roots and beyond direct (hitting,
kicking, choking) and indirect (gossiping, cyberbullying, silencing one’s voice) forms.
If we are really going to lessen bullying at school overtime, we must talk about the
unmentionable: Bullying at school is larger than one child pushing, hitting or kicking
another. Literature suggests it is quite disappointing that to date there has been
no significant impact on bullying at school in the United States (Juvonen, Graham,
& Schuster, 2003; Berger, 2007). Literature also suggests there is little to no national
conversation about how direct and indirect forms of bullying at school are connected
to ideological beliefs, structural practices and cultural competence. This particular
study explored the scholarly literature and educational practices of social justice
guru, Paulo Freire and their implications for examining ideology, structural practices,
cultural competence, and oppression, namely bullying at school. The teacher-participants
in this study became known as the Wichita Teacher Inquiry Group. The six 5th grade
teachers, diverse in race, gender and experience, were nominated by their principals
to be a part of this year-long endeavor. Fifth grade was selected because bullying
behavior is most extensive at the middle school level (Archer & Cote, 2005; Eslea
& Rees, 2001; Espelage, Meban, & Swearer, 2004; Pellgegrini & Long, 2002). One of
the goals of this study was to help 5th grade students learn an appropriate use of
power before they transition to middle school. The principals used social justice
oriented teaching as the criteria for nominating a teacher. Social justice teachers’
teaching practices are designed to pose thought-provoking problems for students to
devise understandings for discussion. They address “key social justice issues locally
and globally - regarding racism, class inequality, gender inequalities, planetary
pollution and global warming, war and peace, etc., and seek to integrate such issues
as themes into the disciplinary subject matters at hand rather than delivering free-standing
lectures on them” (Shor, 2011, p. 1.). The nominated teachers who became the six teacher-participants
responded to four surveys, participated in nine cultural circles (focused discussion),
and were videotaped while teaching a lesson in their respective classrooms. The teacher-participants
came to understand the connection between ideology, structure, culture and oppression
in their school contexts as well as how all four can perpetuate direct and indirect
bullying behavior. As a result of their experiences with this study, the teacher-participants
were convinced that teaching from a social justice orientation, a Freirean perspective
in particular, has the potential to lessen structural, cultural, indirect, and direct
forms of bullying, because it poses thought-provoking questions and addresses power
and inequities as it relates to race, social class, gender and the like. They were
also convinced that teaching from a social justice perspective could help them to
guard against becoming teacher bullies. This study was expected to allow those teachers
who were very effective at teaching from a social justice orientation to share their
teaching practices with those who had less experience. In the end, all social justice
teachers, veteran and novice were expected to enhance their skills through this work.
Future research should consider further investigation on how ideological beliefs,
structural practices and cultural competence can perpetuate direct and indirect forms
of bullying so that teacher education programs can address this before preservice
teachers earn a license to teach.
School Bullying: A Freirean PerspectiveAuthor: Dr. Linda Fae RhonePublisher: Proquest, Umi Dissertation Publishing, 2011https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/9639/ISBN: 1243536993, 9781243536990Length: 148 pages
This study addressed the overarching question: Can the work of Brazilian educator
Paulo Freire provide a framework for a better understanding of school bullying in
the United States? In order to address the overarching question, the following questions
were answered: (1) What is the state of information available on bullying in the United
States? (2) How does selected works authored by Paulo Freire provide an understanding
of oppressive relationships? (3) What has been written about Paulo Freire's influence
on selected educators who teach in America? (4) What were the perspectives on bullying
from selected educators whose practices are grounded in Freirean ideas? and (5) How
did selected educators who teach in America describe bullying in their school contexts
and their approaches for managing it? This descriptive study included three questionnaire/surveys
completed by those whose teaching and learning practices are influenced by Paulo Freire
which takes the form of emancipatory education. The sample included one --male and
two females. The educators responded to seven open-ended questions. The results showed
that low-level aggression has the potential to escalate into the kind of violent acts
prevalent in the news since the late 1990s. Bullying must be understood as something
that can occur at more than one level. For example, there is bullying among students,
and there is bullying done to students by teachers, who are guided by ideological
beliefs and structural components. There is no quick fix for managing bullying. It
is through the efforts of everyone in a given school context that bullying can be
managed overtime. Paulo Freire believed that oppressive relationships dehumanized
the oppressed and the oppressor. In the case of bullying, the bully, victim, and bystander
are dehumanized. Structural components that coerce teachers and students to "fit"
into dominant ideologies dehumanize teachers and students. The full development of
any human being requires a living and learning space that nurtures freedom and justice.
Freire's work provided alternative ways of parenting, and teaching and learning that
could break the cycle of authoritarian, hierarchal, asymmetrical, and oppressive relationships.
Title: A Freirean Approach to Learning and Teaching: The Responses’ of Select American Educators
to the work of Paulo Freire from 1970s to the 1990s.Author: Dr. Linda Fae RhoneDissertationPh.D., State University of Sheffield (2003) (Combined Study) https://sites.google.com/view/dr-linda-f-rhoneLength: 140 pages Graduate ID: B202977C0FC07E1
Paulo Freire (1921-1997) was born in Recife, Brazil. He became a world educator known
best for his passion and ability to empower impoverished adults through literacy and
consciousness raising education. Paulo Freire advocated for the importance of culturally
relevant teaching for all learners. He defined culturally relevant and conscious raising
education as education that unveils the learner’s oppression, no matter what kind
of oppression. Freire believed that when education did not speak to a learner’s plight
of oppression, it was not authentic. In his autobiography, written to his niece in
the form of letters “Letters to Cristina: Reflections on my life and world” (1994),
Freire provided one of the most detailed and chronicled accounts of his life as a
child, adolescent, young adult, and mature adult. This work allowed Paulo Freire to
revisit and rethink some of his earlier thoughts as he developed into a social justice
guru. This study was originally guided by a successful dissertation proposal defense
and dissertation drafts written to prepare for a dissertation defense in a Foundations
of Education Doctoral Program at the University of Kansas (see title above). It was later refocused and submitted to the faculty at the State University of Sheffield
for a Ph.D. in Social Justice. New Title: Learning, Living, and Teaching for Social Justice: Creating A Society for Equity.
Managed a $25,000 foundation grant to create a university and k-12 public school partnership
Coordinator, Teacher Internship Placement
Assisted in revision of lesson plan template and rubrics
Taught elementary and secondary undergraduate students
Taught graduate students
Advised and mentored undergraduate students
Developed and presented workshops for practicing classroom teachers
Lead instructor for Educational Psychology: Learning and Evaluation, responsible for
aligning content objectives, instructional strategies and assessments
Lead instructor for Field 2 (24-hour practicum course) revised handbook, syllabus,
and assessments
Coordinator of Internship Placement (fall 2008 - spring 2010)
Member of Transformative Teaching and Learning Committee
Facilitated Principles of Teaching and Learning (PTL) Workshop
Visiting Assistant Professor, BA. and M.A.T. Programs
Shepherd University, Department of Education
(2003-2008)
Taught courses in Bachelor of Elementary Education and Graduate Programs
Assisted in organizing and implementing a Service-Learning component in Foundations
of Education courses
Organized service-learning projects for undergraduate students
Organized and facilitated collaborative classes for Shepherd University preservice
teachers and Job Corps students
Advised and mentored undergraduate students
Supervised portfolios and teacher work samples
Supervised cooperative learning projects
Served on Gateway Committee • Served on Liberal Studies Committee
Mentored new faculty
Supervised student candidates
Assistant Professor, B.A. Program
University of Wyoming, Elementary and Early Childhood Education Department
Social Justice & Equity in a Stratified Society (Amazon.com) January 2023.
Thriving Through Trauma: a Path to Wellness (a memoir) (Amazon.com) June, 2023.
Dean, M. (2017). Featured as a Legend in The Black Legends of Kansas. Global Enterprises:
Wichita, Kansas.
Hufford, D. (2010). The Hufford reader. Rhone, L. (Ed.). Salt Lake City, UT: Family
Heritage Publishers.
Peer Reviewed
Rhone, L., & Burkhalter, K. (2012). Lessening structural, cultural, direct and indirect
forms of bullying through cultural competence and transformative teaching and learning. The Kansas Advocate, Vol. 20
(2), 1-11.
Rhone, L. (2005). Case commentary. In P. F. Goldblatt & D. Smith (Eds.), Cases for
teacher development: Preparing for the classroom (pp. 172-173). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
SELECT BOOK REVIEWS PUBLISHED IN MULTICULTURAL REVIEW Quarterly Journal
Rhone, L. (2010, July 15). [Review of the book Defending religious diversity in public
schools: A practical guide for building our democracy and deepening our education, by N. R. Kollar]. Multicultural
Review, 19 (2), 54.
Rhone, L. (2009, December 16). [Review of book No child left behind: A true story
of a teacher’s quest, by E. Blake]. Multicultural Review, 18 (1), 65.
Rhone, L. (2009, November 15). [Review of book Manga High: Literacy, identity, and
coming of age in an urban high school, by M. Bitz]. Multicultural Review, 18 (4), 68-69.
Rhone, L. (2009, August 2). [Review of the book The Herb Kohl reader: Awakening the
heart of teaching, by Kohl Herbert]. Multicultural Review, 18 (3), 67.
Rhone, L. (2002, March 10). [Review of the book Global constructions of multicultural
education: Theories and realities, by C. A. Grant & J. L. Lie (Ed.)]. Multicultural Review, 11(1), 89.
Rhone, L. (2002, March 10). [Review of the book Ethnicity, race, and nationality in
education, by N.K. Shimahara, I. Z. Holowinsky & S. Tomlinson-Clark (Ed.)]. Multicultural Review, 11 (1), 89.
United States Department of Education, TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) $2.5 million-United
States Department of Education, Spring 2020-2025.
Kansas Community Foundation, Wichita Teacher Inquiry Group (WTIG), fall 2009: “Lessening
Systemic, Structural, Cultural, Direct and Indirect forms of Bullying through Cultural
Competence and Transformative Teaching and Learning.” $50,000.00.
Kansas Health Foundation, Wichita Teacher Inquiry Group (WTIG), fall 2009: “Lessening
Systemic, Structural, Cultural, Direct and Indirect forms of Bullying through Cultural
Competence and Transformative Teaching and Learning.” $25,000.00.
Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies, Wichita Teacher Inquiry Group (WTIG), fall
2009: “Lessening Systemic, Structural, Cultural, Direct and Indirect forms of Bullying
through Cultural Competence and Transformative Teaching and Learning.” $1,500.00.
Grants Funded
Recipient/Principal Investigator, TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) $2.5 million-United
States Department of Education, Spring 2020-2025.
Recipient/Principal Investigator; Recognition Grant $25,000.00 - Kansas Health Foundation, Wichita Teacher Inquiry Group (WTIG), “Lessening Systemic, Structural, Cultural, Direct
and Indirect forms of Bullying through Cultural Competence and Transformative Teaching
and Learning.” January 2010-August 2011.
Recipient, Principal Investigator, Social Change Grant $1,500.00 – Gerber Institute
for Catholic Studies, Wichita Teacher Inquiry Group (WTIG), “Lessening Systemic, Structural,
Cultural, Direct and Indirect forms of Bullying through Cultural Competence and Transformative
Teaching and Learning.” January 2010-August 2011.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (1996, November). A Historical Examination of Multicultural
Education in United States Public Schools: What have we learned? American Educational Studies Association Conference, Montreal,
CA.
NATIONAL CONFERENCES
Presenter, Rhone, L.F., Hufford, D., Burkhalter, K., & the Wichita Teacher Inquiry
Group Educators (2011, July). Lessening Bullying through Cultural Competence and Transformative Teaching and Learning: Our journey.
Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference, Chicago, IL.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (2008, May). Paper accepted, Systemic Bullying and Oppression.
Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference, Omaha, NE.
Presenter, Rhone, L. F. (2006, May). School Bullying: A Freirean Perspective. Pedagogy and Theater of the Oppressed Conference, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill,
Chapel Hill, NC.
Discussant, Rhone, L.F. (1999, November). An Examination of Multicultural Education
in United States Public Schools: What have we learned? American Educational Studies Association Conference,
Ponchatrian, Detroit, MI.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (1998, November). A Historical Examination of Aspects of Paulo Freire’s Ideas: Implications for Critical Multicultural Teacher Education. American Educational Studies Association Conference, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Philadelphia,
Center City.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (1998, January). A Professional Development School Partnership:
Comparing the Experiences’ of Student Candidates at a PDS to Student Candidates at a non-PDS. What is the difference, if any? Holmes Scholars Annual Conference, Adams Mark Hotel,
Orlando, FL.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (1997, April). Introducing A Black Psychology Perspective in
a General Psychology course. People of Color Conference, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln,
NE.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (1997, January). Kansas Department of Education, Professional
Development Schools: Implications for Multicultural Teacher Education/Poster Presentation, Holmes
Partners/Scholars Conference, St. Louis, MO.
REGIONAL CONFERENCES
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (2010, September). Bullying at School: A Freirean Perspective.
Society of the Philosophy and History of Education Conference, Oklahoma City, OK.
Presenter, Rhone, L. F. (2006, October). The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander.
Rethinking and Relearning Diversity: From Conflict to Inclusion, University System of Maryland Diversity Network Faculty Initiatives Committee, 4th
Annual Conference, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, MD.
LOCAL/INSTITUTIONAL
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (2012, June). 27th Annual Conference of Kansas Alliance of
Black School Educators. African American Males in Crises: From an Urban School Age Perspective, Is the Plight of African American Males Connected
to Systemic Structural and Cultural Bullying at School? Wichita, KS.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (2006, March). Select American Women in Education. Multicultural,
Women’s History Celebration, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV.
Presenter, Rhone, L.F. (1998, April). A Professional Development School Partnership:
Comparing the Experiences’ of Student Candidates at a PDS to Student Candidates at a non-PDS. What is the difference, if any? Kansas University Professional Development School
Alliance Conference, Holiday Inn-Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kansas City, MO.
PRESENTATIONS (OTHER THAN PAPERS)
Principles of Teaching and Learning (PTL) Training. Newman University Western Kansas
(fall 2009).
Nurturing Emotionally and Physically Healthy Boys and Girls, Boys and Girls Club,
Wichita, KS. (spring 2009).
Shepherd University First-Year Faculty, A Service-Learning Component in a university
course. Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV. (fall 2006).
Social Justice Practices, Friends University, Wichita, Kansas, February 1st & 2nd,
2019.
Social Justice within a Multicultural Framework. Friends University, Wichita, Kansas
Fall 2017.
Systemic Bully Behavior at School. Newman University, Western Kansas, June 12 & 13,
2009.
Systemic Bully Behavior at School. Newman University, March 13 & 14, 2009.
Systemic Bully Behavior at School. Professional Development for administration and
faculty. Harpers Ferry Middle School, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia-2005.
Author: Kimberly D. Johnson BurkhalterLength: 142 pages
Across the United States students of color make up approximately 69% of the urban
school population. More than 85% of the classroom teachers are White and predominantly
females and 40% of the urban schools do not have teachers of color in their classrooms.
Educational systems often struggle in their efforts to support the needs of racially
and culturally diverse students; students‟ educational success is usually not regarded
as a function of students‟culture. The study comprises a narrative inquiry, captured
in the stories of five White teachers, and analyzed through the lenses of critical
social theory, critical pedagogy and socio-cultural theory. Teachers shared their
stories regarding their awareness of racial and cultural differences and the effects
these differences have on teaching practices and engaging students of color in learning.
They articulated how their personal and professional life experiences may have changed
their understanding of racial and cultural differences as well as challenged them
to change their teaching practices in order to provide culturally relevant instruction
and elicit engaged interactions from their students of color.
Theodore Timms, Committee Chair, “The Impact of the African American Father on his
Middle School Aged Daughter’s Academic Achievement” Spring 2020
Michael Hicks, Pre-Proposal Advisor, “The Impact of Differentiated Instruction” Spring
2018
Certificate of Appreciation, University System of Maryland, Faculty Initiative Committee
for Contribution to Rethinking and Relearning Diversity: From Conflict to Inclusion,
2006.
Nominee, Outstanding Faculty Member – Order of the Purple at Butler County Community
College, 2000.
Recipient, American Educational Research Association, stipend for conference research
workshop, 1999.
Nominee, American Educational Studies Association-Editorial Advisory Council, 1998.
Recognition, Wichita State University, Student Support Services, high academic achievement
in graduate studies, 1996.
Proclamation, for Development and Implementation of a Student Leadership Program,
Mayor's Office- (Emanuel Clever) Kansas City Missouri School District, 1993.
The Student Support Services Executive Director coordinates collaboration and interaction
with the host institution (WSU) and TRIO projects while promoting a campus environment
resulting in multiple opportunities for student learning and continuous improvement
of project services.
Dr. Rhone supervises all components to ensure a measurable impact of services. This
includes incorporating the Competitive Preference Priorities within the SSS grant
as directed by the Department of Education through academic advising, tutoring, database
tracking, and academic/life skills development.
In addition, Dr. Rhone administers the following: manages the budget for effective
fiscal management congruent with institutional computerization in Banner; ensures
compliance with EDGAR, TRIO, and Federal Regulations; maintains an internal control
system for accountability, obtains measurable results and efficient operational policies;
and networks with other TRIO directors, faculty and administrators while attracting
resources to the project for continuous improvements.
Linda F. Rhone, Ph.D., Ed.D. is a Scholar, Activist, Educator, Speaker, Author, and
Social Justice Curriculum (Social-Emotional Resilience) Specialist. Providing direction
for the TRIO Student Support Services Project gives Rhone an opportunity to remain
true to her calling—teaching for Social Justice.
While on her learning and teaching journey, Dr. Rhone develops staff, students (undergraduate
and graduate), and teachers to understand and use social justice concepts and practices.
She teaches the importance of social justice, diversity, inclusion, and equity in
a society that privileges a few at the expense of so many.
Dr. Rhone has held faculty appointments at the undergraduate and graduate levels in
several states. Along with being the executive director of TRIO Student Support Services,
Rhone is currently a workshop faculty member for Friends University where she writes
Social Justice curriculum and teaches graduate courses for teachers.
Dr. Rhone teaches a wide range of courses – including, but not limited to, literacy
in the content areas, qualitative research, foundations of education, curriculum and
instruction, utilizing a social justice lens to teach critical multicultural education,
learning how to learn (growth mindset), sociological foundations of education, psychological
foundations of education, the historical foundations of education, and more.
Rhone has been a principal investigator and/or lead research assistant on several
grants totaling more than $2.5 million (both federal and foundation grants). She is
a published researcher and a skilled interviewer in both individual and focus group
settings. Her expertise in qualitative and quantitative research was gained through
dissertation research and her role in principal investigator on federal or foundation
grant projects.
At present, Rhone is working on a Post-Doctoral Research Project based upon a five-year
$2.5 million federal grant that she manages as principal investigator. She expects
to complete this project by August 2023.
Rhone completed a Ph.D. in Social Justice Education at Sheffield State University
(Accrediting Commission of International Colleges and Universities). Her dissertation title is A Freirean Approach to Learning and Teaching for Social Justice. Rhone studied for a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction/Foundations of Education
at the University of Kansas (Regionally Accredited). Her dissertation is titled The Responses of Select American Educators to the Work of Paulo Freire from the 1970s
to the 1990s. Rhone earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and the Cultural Foundations
of Education at West Virginia University (Regionally Accredited). Her dissertation
title is School Bullying: A Freirean Perspective. Rhone also completed some doctoral work in residence for a Ed.D. in Adult Education
at Northern Illinois University.
Rhone is the author of a memoir titled Thriving through Trauma: A Path to Wellness. (Spring 2023). The purpose of this work is to assist children and adults in facing
trauma (anxiety, depression, and fear), Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), as well
as healing through Social Justice and Social-Emotional Work Resilience. Most recently,
Rhone presented sections of her memoir at the Educational Opportunity Association
Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Along the way, Rhone edited the Hufford Reader (2010),
published journal articles, and numerous book reviews.
Rhone has traveled extensively to attend and present at academic conferences all over
the U.S. to include Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed, American Educational Studies
Association, and Society of the Philosophy and History of Education.
Rhone has led several key initiatives in higher education: writing and managing a
TRIO Student Support Services Grant to serve first-generation, income-eligible, and/or
students of disability status/principal investigator; led a research assistantship for the Professional Development Schools and Critical Multicultural Education federal
grant to use PDS as a vehicle to diminish hierarchal relationships (faculty, administration,
cooperating teachers, student teachers, and students) and address social justice,
diversity, and equity; executed a Service-Learning Partnership to bring preservice teachers and Job Corps students together for one-on-one tutoring
and to lessen racial and socioeconomic barriers; founded the Kansas Teacher Inquiry Group (KTIG) – formerly known as the Wichita Teacher Inquiry
Group (WTIG), to establish a university and k-12 school district partnership for the
purpose of “Lessening Systemic, Structural, Cultural, Direct, and Indirect Forms of
Bullying through Cultural Competence and Transformative Teaching and Learning.” WTIG was acknowledged in a Senate Resolution No. 1768 in Topeka, Kansas—on the Senate
floor.
Rhone has lived and worked in seven states (Kansas, Missouri, Texas, California, Wyoming,
Illinois, and West Virginia), as well as attended federal trainings in Honolulu, HI,
Atlanta, GA, San Diego, CA, Washington, D.C., and San Antonio, TX.) She has worked
in the roles of Pre-K/K-12 teacher; private school administrator; social sciences
community college instructor; college/university education professor; coordinator
of student candidate internship/supervision; lead research assistant for a $1 million
federal grant for professional development schools; co-grant writer and principal
investigator for $2.5 million TRIO federal grant; and grant writer, and principal
investigator for funding $26,500 to create a university and public-school partnership.
On a personal note, Rhone is thrilled to be back home and providing the leadership
for the program she was once a part of as an undergraduate student. Rhone believes
it is God’s amazing grace that the late Dr. Deema deSilva passed her the baton (to
become the director of SSS) over thirty years ago, as she awarded her with a certificate
for attending graduate school at the University of Kansas. It was not clear at the
time the baton was being passed; however, it was destined to be.
Rhone enjoys gospel music, jazz, reading, traveling, and spending time with her best
friends, her mother and her sister, Irene Strong Rhone and Marva Joyce Rhone.
